Last Wednesday, Colgate welcomed the artist Scherezade Garcia to campus for the opening of her exhibition entitled, “It’s so sunny that it’s dark.” She introduced the exhibition to the Colgate community via a talk in Golden Auditorium. The exhibition features a series of paintings displaying American national icons, such as fireworks, Mickey Mouse, stars and stripes, but she also integrates symbols from her native Caribbean background. She focuses on blending these themes because the processes of colonization and migration in the Americas have been her source of inspiration.
Having the opportunity to hear an artist speak about their personal work is always engaging. Colgate students and professors were able to directly ask questions regarding her artwork. She explained different features and icons of her paintings, for example, one of the figures is wearing a traditional Creole headdress in an effort to distinguish one from “boring” Europeans. Garcia also discussed the importance of color choice in her work. She often uses pink because it entices people through its playful persona, but she then wants people to recognize the seriousness of her message. I would have been ignorant to these small details had she not shared the premises of her creations. In addition, the mixing of colors to create a brownish color symbolizes the ideas of integration and inclusivity that are so pertinent to her work.
Garcia also hosted a workshop on Tuesday, “How Do You Color Freedom?”. Garcia provided a variety of colored paper, JFK Airport luggage tags in red, yellow, and blue, print outs of one of her pieces illustrating the Statue of Liberty, glue guns, and other writing utensils. With the use of these communal tools and features, students were encouraged to create a piece that detailed their interpretation of freedom and liberty within the United States with immigration at the forefront of the message. Not only were Garcia’s paintings beautiful, but she also encouraged participation and interaction from the Colgate community, which fostered a deeper engagement with her ideas and themes.
If you have not already, the Her Campus team encourages you to go stop by her exhibition in Little’s Clifford Gallery before it ends on October 8th!!